Phonograph.



U ITE STATES. PATENT o FIo JOSIAH B. MILLET, 0F BOSTOIT, MASSACHUSETTS.

rnonosnarn.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosIAH B. MILLET, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an.

ing particularly concerned with the pro-- vision of means for improving the quality of the sound reproduced by such instruments.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing of one illustrative embodiment thereof, while its scope willbe more; particularly pointed out in the appended claims. vIn the drawings: Figure 1 is a side eleration of the reproducing mechanism of a -.phonograph equipped with one form of the inventionyFig. 2- is a detail in enlarged section showing the stylus support; and Fig. 3 is a modified formshowing a stylus support suitable for use in connection with records provided with grooves having lateral undulations v Referring to the drawings and the illustrative" embodiment of the invention therein disclosed, I have shown, as conventionally illustrative of the reproducing mechanism provided with vertical undulations,,,o r in other words having an up and down cut; The invention, however, as will be more form of cut and may be appliedto r'pro of a phonograph, the sound box 1 having the diaphragm 2 (shown in dotted lines), to

which is attached one end of the stylus lever 3, the latter being pivoted atA: upon the lugs 5 secured to the sound box and having at its opposite end the socketed enlargement 6 wherein is secured, by means of'the set screw 7, the carrier for the'stylus or tracking point or the stylus itself.

I The form of-stylus and reproducing mechanism: shown in Fig. 1 is specifically -intended for use with records having grooves fully referred to, may be used in connection with records having the zigzag ;\or other ducing mechanisms of varying constructions and types, the one hereinshown being selected merely to illustrate the principle of the invention.v

In the reproduction of sound, as is well Specification of Letters latent. I Application filed. March 29, 1911. Serial No. 617,561.

' Patented Jan, 2, 1912.

nally recorded ordinarily contains many imp'erfections, some of which are due to imperfectio-ns in the record itself and many of which are due to the action upon the diaphragm'of mechanical effects, such, for example, as are caused by extraneous sounds, or by the scratching contact of the stylus against the record material. These imperfections, w iich occur irrespective whether the record groove faithfully represents the undulations of the original sound, are coniverted; into air vibrations by the diaphragm .as well as those vibrations which are transmitted as faithful-reproductions of the sound record undulations and are imposed upon the resultant sound emitted fromthe noises created by the motor or other extraneous sounds, but the'indiscrimr. nate mufliing of all emitted sounds mufiies those harmonic or musical sound vibrations which are intended to result directly from, and to reproduce exactly, the undulations of the sound groove, as Well as the undesirable or inharmonic sounds, while the insulation of the reproducing mechanism from the motor and other extraneous noises does not eliminate or affect the scratching, hissing and other sounds which, as imperfections in the reproduction, are transmitted to the diaphragm through the stylus and its connections thereto.

known, the reproduction of the sound origi- I It has also been attempted to soften the V reproduced sound' and exclude the discordant unmusical sounds by employing a stylus of soft sound-absorbent material, such as fiber, in place: ofthe relatively hard, nonabsorbent stylus such as the common steel needle. {Such absorbent stylus, however,

fails to reproduce the true. undulations of the record with the clearness and sharpness of a stylus of the non-absorbent type. The

apparent actionof such an absorbent stylus is to. remain, inert or non-re ponsive not only to lnharmonic sounds, but also to undulations 1n the record groove represent ng desiredfaint sounds,-over-tones,. andinotes of high periodicity, the result being that such vibrations, as well as the inharmonic vibrations are excluded or partly excluded from the stylus, stylus lever and diaphragm and the reproduction otherwise lacks the clearness and definition of a reproduction by .a non-absorbent stylus.

It has also been attempted to soften the reproduced sound by dampening or cushioning the vibrations of the stylus or of the stylus lever, as for example, by interposing a dampening or cushioning bod'y between the stylus and the lever or betweenthe lever and the diaphragm. Such eiforts, however,

record thereby to reproduce accurately in the form of stylus. .movements each .and every undulation contained in'the record. .I also utilize a connector, preferably in' the form of a stylus lever, intermediate the said stylus and the diaphragm which is of such shape, mass and material as to transmit to the diaphragm faithfully and without any substantial loss by absorption, the movements communicated to it. Intermediate such non-absorbent connector, however, and the non-absorbent stylus I cause to be interposed a relatively absorbent body of such vibration absorbing material and of such shape and mass'as is adapted to absorb locally within-itself objectionable and inhar-- 'monic stylus vibrations but which, however is distinguished'from-a mere cushioning or dampening body,-andconst1tutes a movement-transmitting mass transmitting with substantial accuracy the desired, harmonic movements of the stylus to the stylus lever 01'' connector. Preferably I employ a block of absorbing material at the tip .of end of the stylus lever and serving preferably as a seat or holder for the stylus itself. The

\ result is that while the stylus is. free to move.

in response to all the undulations of the sound record, those wibrations which would. otherwise become manifest through the yi brations of the diaphragm as unmusical sounds and soundsof low pitch, such as those resulting from hissing, scratching,

bursts and other defects, are locally absorbed level, .while the desired vibrations of er;

by the stylus carrier at the end of-the stylus odicity whichunanifest themselves as mu meal or harmon c notes are. transmitted to the diaphragm with definition and distinctness, resulting in greatly improved quality of reproduction without any materially lessened sharpness.

Referring to Figs. 1 and. 2, the non-absorbent stylus which therein is represented as a hard sapphire point, is shown as secured in any suitable way, as for example, by a set-- ting of shellac in the tip of a carrier 9, the shank of which is reduced so that it can be fitted into the socket 6 of the stylus le-- ver asvis usual \vith'theordinary sapphire carrying pin." The stylus carrier 9 is made of any suitable sound absorbent material such as ordinary commercial fiber or wood, either of which, if properly shaped and proportioned, as for example fiber of the shape and 'preportions shown, having a tapered ,lower end and a substantial bodywith an ample seating shoulder, will absorb very largely the non-musical movements or'vibra-- tions of the stylus 8','yet in connection with the stylus lever will produce the desired movement of said lever. It will be seen that the absorbent stylus carrier is of large mass relatively to the stylus and small -mass rel-- atively to the lever 3.

The fiber 9 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 0011- I stitutes a movement-transmitting mass-between the stylus and thelever since it is of such proportions and material as to transmit accurately the harmonic 'movements of the stylus to the lever. The stylus lever may be of metal, but whether of metal or other material, it should be of such proportions and material as to be relatively non-absorbent of the harmonic vibrations thus received. It will thusbe seen that while the sapphire point is separated from the metal of the stylus point 3 by' the interposed body of ab-, sorbent fiber so that all desired movements passing from the stylus point to the diaphragm are transmitted through the body of fiber, the latter has no material efiectjon the rigidity of the connections between the stylus and the diaphragm, but a structurally stifi or un ieldingconnection'is afforded 'so that the diaphragm vibrates in response to-v the vibrations of the stylus, and the latter, on the other hand, may move freely and without retardation in response to the undulation's of the record groove. 'The' same.

principle may be applied to a stylus in the 7 form of the ordinary needle point used in connection with records having the zigzag 'cut and in Fig. 3 I have shown a similar fiber holder 10 having a socket toreceive the needle oint 11.

*Other a so'rbent materials than those- I specified may be utilized, it being found generally that the more soft and porous the material employed, the greater the obstructive or absorbent effect, the effectof such 'materials being to absorbthe discordant sounds to a much greater-extent than the harmonic sounds. For ordinary purposes it will be found that hard fiber properly proportioned, as for'eXample as shown in the drawings, is satisfactory for this purpose.

It is preferable to employ the absorbent material as a. holder or seat for the stylus point itself, the effect being best when the stylus carrier or preferably the stylus itself, is gripped by or seated in the fibrous or other material used and the effect being also best when the mass of the absorbent material is relatively large as regards the mass of the stylus and relatively small as regards the mass of the stylus lever.

While for illustrative purposes I have shown and described one specific form of the invention, it is to be understood that it is not limited to the particular application made herein of the same or to details, form, materialor construction of the parts herein illustrated.

I claim 1. In a phonograph reproducing mechanism, the combination with a non-absorbent stylus, of a stylus-carryinghead com- -.prising a block of sound-absorbent material and of relatively large transmitting mass as compared with said stylus, and a non-absorbent stylus bar, said head being .seated against said bar to transmit t ereto substantially all the unabsorbed recor -producing sound-reproducing movements of said stylus. I r

2. In a phonograph reproducing mechanism, the combination with a non-absorbent stylus of a stylus carrying head comprising a block of fibrous material of T6131? tively large transmitting mass as comparedwith the stylus, and 'a metallic stylus bar, said head being seated against the stylus bar to transmit thereto the vibrations of the stylus.

v 3. In a phonograph reproducing mechanism, the combination with a non-absorbent stylus of a stylus-carrying head comprising a block of sound absorbent material of relatively large transmitting mass as compared with the stylus, said head having a tapered end in which the stylus is seated, arid a non-absorbent stylus bar,

there being provided a shouldered connection bet-ween the head and the bar whereby said head is seated against said bar to transmit thereto vibrations of the stylus.

4:. In a phonograph reproducing mechanism, the combination with a non-absorbent stylus, of a stylus-carrying head comprising a block of sound-absorbent material of relatively large transmitting mass as compared with the stylus, said head having a tapered end in which the stylus is seated and a non-absorbent stylus bar, said head having a shank .and said bar having a socket to receive the shank whereby'the head is connected to the bar to transmit thereto the vibrations of the stylus.

5. In a phonograph reproducing mechanism the combination with a non-absorbent stylus of a stylus-carrying head comprising ablock of sound absorbent material of relatively large transmitting mass as compared with said stylus, a diaphragm, and a nonabsorbent connection between the block and the diaphragm to transmit thereto substantially all the unabsorbed record-produced sound-reproducing movements of said stylus. i

. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribmg witnesses.

JOSIAH B. MILLET.

Witnesses:

THOMAS B. Boo'rH, ROBERT H. KA MLER. 

